RECREATION. 



Volume X. 



APRIL, J899. 

 G. 0. SHIELDS (COGUINA), Editor and Manager. 



Number 4. 



BEARDING A GRIZZLY IN HIS DEN. 



GEO. W. RE A. 



One winter afternoon I mounted my 

 horse, rode into, the foothills of the 

 Tetons in search of game and soon 

 found the fresh track of a big grizzly. 

 He was evidently seeking his den, 

 urged on by the cold and snow. It was 

 too late in the day to follow him, so I 

 continued on my journey, promising 

 Bruin a chase the next day. 



It was late in the evening when I 

 reached home, yet I was in the saddle 

 again by daybreak; this time, how- 

 ever, taking with me food for myself 

 as well as for the horse. • Although in 

 my 65th year, I rode away feeling as 

 young and sprightly as a school boy. 

 I came to the bear's trail about noon 

 and began the pursuit. All who have 

 followed bears are aware they will pass 

 through every windfall near their line 

 of travel. Snow was still clinging to 

 the trees and brush and my every mo- 

 tion, as I tracked the bear over hill and 

 dale, caused a miniature snow storm. 

 After a few miles the trail turned up 

 the mountain side; the snow becom- 

 ing deeper as the altitude increased. 



At the head of a hollow, into which 

 the tracks led, were a number of large 

 rocks and I felt sure I would find my 

 game among them. I dismounted 

 and leading my horse went cautiously 

 forward. The trail led toward a large 

 rock, while bevond and about it the 

 snow was unmarked. I dropped the 

 reins of my horse and stealthily ap- 

 proached the rock. So steep was the 

 hillside that I was within 6 feet of the 



hole, down which the bear had gone, 

 before I saw it. I threw my gun to 

 my shoulder, yet hesitated a moment 

 before making my presence known to 

 the animal I had come so far to see. 

 I am a veteran hunter, well versed in 

 bear nature and I knew that standing 

 as near the den as I did, unless I killed 

 the bear at the first shot I would have 

 no time to fire another. However, I 

 was not going to back down and, with 

 my rifle pointed at the hole, I shouted. 

 No innkeeper ever answered tiie 

 hail of an expected guest with more 

 celeri y than did the bear my chal- 

 lenge. He was in a far from hospit- 

 able frame of mind. As his head came 

 in sight he opened his great mouth and 

 growled savagely. A more vicious 

 looking brute never showed its face. 

 At the crack of the rifle he fell back 

 into the hole. In went another cart- 

 ridge and I was ready for him again, 

 but everything was quiet. The hole 

 was so filled with smoke that for some 

 time I could see nothing else. When 

 it cleared away, I saw one of the bear's 

 paws. Making a slip noose in a rope 

 I managed to get it over his foot. 

 Then I tied the rope to the saddle 

 horn and my horse pulled the bear 

 out. The bullet had struck between 

 and a little below the eyes, and rang- 

 ing downward, had completely shat- 

 tered the vertebrae to the shoulders. 

 The muzzle of the gun was not more 

 than 2 feet from the bear's head when 

 discharged. 



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